Guest Posting Like A Mofo: Volume I

I’ve been busy guest posting over the last few weeks. And rather than quickly pinch off a lackluster post for this site just for the sake of posting, I’m instead going to talk about what I’ve been up to, and where you can find it.

Hosted by my new friends at IndieWatch.net, “Negotiations for Game Devs” covers some fundamental aspects of negotiations. I introduce some basic misconceptions about negotiations, the common pitfalls of deal making, and differentiate between integrative and distributive negotiations.

Part 2 of “Negotiations for Game Devs” (also hosted at IndieWatch.net) builds on the fundamentals from Part 1, and provides a script for conducting a successful negotiation. The first step is to prepare: determine your BATNA, Reservation Price, and Target Price, and to do the same for your counterpart. I also show you how to draft a planning doc to help you prepare.

Next, you build rapport with your counterpart. This serves to establish a collaborative atmosphere and allow you to test some of your assumptions from the planning doc. Then the offers and counter offers commence until you reach a deal or one of you walks.

Hosted on Gamasutra.com, this is a simple (but not easy) how-to guide for crisis management. Crises aren’t just disasters – they’re decision points that test your values. But they also provide opportunities to show the world who you really in a way that no PR campaign ever could. The post contains several meaty examples, both of what to do and what not to do.

The first step in responding to a crisis is to know your values. Next, decide if you actually need to respond. Third, identify which group or groups of people you’re going to appease and with which you’ll need to make amends later. Fourth, assume responsibility. Fifth, take action. And sixth, be transparent.

Crises aren’t fun, but they can be moments that forever cement the character of you or your company. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is entirely dependent on how you respond.